Constipated 2 year old - how much should they be drinking?

[Galmum]

A friend has a really constipated 2 year old - not sure whether he is constipated because of drinking/diet or because he is holding back. He was potty trained at New Year (he's 2 and a half).

He does n't seem to drink much at all which can't help - what's the guidance on how much they should be drinking?

An adult is 8 glasses of water; so I would guess about 8 child size cups?

Dilute orange juice might help as a drink?

I don't know Galmum, but my ds (same age) has always been a very big drinker of water/milk and recently juice. He's never been constipated.

That said, he's not fully potty trained yet (he will not do a poo in his potty, yet), so it's not very representative of your friend's son's condition.

Has he been constipated for a long time, or is this a recent condition?

He had a problem a few months ago and it has returned. He's been given lactulose to use (mild poo softening laxative) so it's not painful to go, but they need to get to the bottom of the problem - excuse the pun!

Love the pun!

He certainly needs to be drinking more than he evidently is. Has your friend tried different cups/beakers, etc?